Automobile direction signal



Feb. 24, 1931. K. ZASTAWSKI 4, 49

AUTOMOBILE DIRECTION SIGNAL Filed Oct. 24, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR.

Feb. 24, 1931. K. ZASTAWSKI AUTOMOBILE DIRECTION SIGNAL Filed Oct. 24,1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W Q U L Tia.

Patented Feb. 24, 1931 PATENT OFFICE T KAZIMIESZ ZAST AWSKI, OFBALTIMORE, MARYLAND AUTOMOBILE DIRECTION SIGNAL Application filedOctober 24, 1928. Serial No. 314,772.

This invention relates to a signal especially adapted to be used upon anautomobile machine and it oonsistsin the novel fe atures her inafterdescribed and claimed.

* An object of the invention is to provide an electrically illuminatedsignal adapted tobe positioned one at each side of the body of theautomobile machine and having adapted to be swung outwardly beyond the1o surface of the bodyand simultaneously illuminated so that pedestriansor traffic upon 1 the highway may be warned as to the d1rec- 131011 inwhlch the. ZLLlCOIl'lOOllQ machine J l equipped with the signalingapparatus is about to make a turni \Vith this object in view thesignaling device includes a panel wiiich is pivotally mounted and set inthe side of the body of the machine. Means are provided for swinging thesaid panel from a closed position to an open position and spring meansare provided for automatically returning the panel from an open positionto a closed position. The swinging means is so arranged and mounted thatthe same means may operate the panels which are located one at each sideof the body. That is to say, when the handle positions theyautomatically close electric circuits which include bulbs housed in thepanels and the said bulbs are located within transparencies providedupon the panels, the said transparencies being preferably in the form ofarrows and serve to indicate the direction in which the automobilemachine is about to make a turn when the panels are extended.

In theaccompanying drawings Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevationalView of the rear portion of an automobile machine with the signalapplied;

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the signal detachedfrom the body oi the automobile machine; Figure 3 is a top plan View ofthe signal;

panels Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view of the signal cut on theline 4-4: of Figure 2;

Figure 5 a transverse sectional View oi the signal cut on the line 5 5of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary.sectional View or the signal cut on the line6- 6 of Figure a; Figure *5 is a fragmentary sectional View of thesignal out on the line 77 of Figure 4;

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic View of the circuit used in the signal;

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic plan View of means enrployedior swingingthepanels of the signals.

The body. 1 of the automobile machine is provided at its rear portionand at its opposite sides with recesses 2. Each signal in} cludes apanel3 in the form of a frame having at its sides plates 4.

The said plates 4 are provided with openings 5 preferably in the form ofarrows. T ansparencles 6 are disposed over theopenings 5 and may be ofany suitable color, preferably red. Bulbs 7 are housed in the panelsbetween the plates 4 and the transparencies 6 and the said bulbs areelectrically connected by wiring 8. The wiring 8 also connects withterminals 9 mounted at the rear end of the panel upon a block 10ofinsulating material.

A casing 11 is inserted within the side of the body of the automobilemachine and a hinge pin 12 passes through the upper and lower sides ofthe casing. A hinge leat 13 is fixed to the panel and is hingedlymounted upon the pin12. Springs 1a are coiled around the hinge pin 12and thexsaid springs have their extremities embedded one end in theblock10 and the other ends disposed against the side of the panel 4 orinserted within the end of the panel 1. The springs 14 serve as meansfor automatically swinging or returning the panel from an open to aclosed position within the casing 11. A lug 15 is mounted upon the block10 and a pull cord 16 is connected at one end with the lug 15. The saidcord is trained around a pulley 17 journaled within the side of the bodyof the automobile machine and passes under a pulley 18 and is connectedwith one end of a lever 19 pivotally mounted upon the instrument boardof the machine or in the vicinity of the steering wheel. The pull cord16 at one side of the body is connected with one end to the lever 19 andthe pull cord 16, at the opposite side is connected with the other endof'the lever 19. Contact terminals '20 are mounted with- I in the recess2 and are located in the paths of movement of the terminals 9. Thecontact terminals 20 are connected by means of wiring 21 with a battery22.

When the operator of the automobile machine is about to make a. turn hegrasps'the handle of the lever 7 and turns the saidhan- '7 dle in thedirection in which he is about to the lever '19 is turned, is swung frommake the turn. Thusthe pull cord at one side of the'body of the machineis moved longitudinally over the pulleys 18 and l! and inasmuch as thesaid cord 16 is connected with the lug the panel l at the same side ofthe machine asthat toward which the handle ol a closed to an openposition and movedout or" the recess 2 and beyond-the edge ol'the casing11 so that the said panel approximately is positioned at ri ht angle tothe side or"- the body of the automobile machine as indicated by thedotted lines in Figure 4 of the drawing.

W hen said panel is swung as just described the terminals 9 enterbetween the contact terminals and thus an electric circuit from thebattery 22th the bulb 7 overthe wiring 1 and 8 is completed and the saidbulbs? are illuminated. Thus the transparencies 6 are illuminated andthe rays-of light from the bulbs passing through the said transparenciesserveas means for warning pedestrains and the traffic as to thedirection in which the automobile machine upon which theapparatus ismounted 1s about to make a turn,

As soon as theoperatorreleases his grasp from the lever l9, the springs1e upon that panel which has been swung outwardly promptly return thesaid panel to closed position whereby the electric circuit is broken andthe bulbs are darkened and the panel is returned to its normal positionwithin the casingll and the recess 2. i 7 -Having described theinvention what is claimed is I 1. An automobile direction signal adaptedfor mountingin a cavity in the side of a motor vehicle and comprising anopen front casing, a panel, adapted for illumination, mountedfor'movement into and out of the casing, said panel being of rectangularform I inelevation and including vertical end blocks,

spaced stenciled direction plates anchored at their endsto the blocks, avertical pivot pin mounting for one of the end blocks, a lug extendingoutwardly from the pivot block in alinement with the panel and a pullcord located in the bottom of the casing with a guide pulley oppositethe pivot block whereby apull on the cord will move the panel outwardlyof the casing and at right angles to thevehicle and spring meansassociated pivot for returning the panel located in the bottom of thecasing with a guide pulley opposite the pivot block whereby pull on thecord will movethe panel outwardly of the casing'and at right angles tothe vehicle, spring means associated with the block pivot ferreturningthe panel to the casing, signal lamps in the panel in communication witha source of electrical energy and spaced contacts, one contactprojecting from the outer side of the pivoted block and the othercontact mounted in the bottom of the casing in the path oi movement ofthe aforesaid contact whereby the lamps are illuminated upon outwardlyswinging movement of the panel. 1' s I I i In testimony whereof Iaflixmy signature.

KAZIMIESZ zasrawsin;

